In particular I want to get the edges cleaner and the top smoother/less textured. I feel like I manage to get the sides smooth with the metal scraper but that then makes the top bumpy near the edges and then when I smooth the top it makes the sides bumpy and it just keeps going in a cycle etc.
American buttercream (with vegan butter/milk) using a tall metal cake scraper (with hot water sometimes), small plastic scraper, one big & one small metal off set spatula
Sorry for the hazy quality I got buttercream on my phone camera
by molly_hope
12 Comments
I’ve had good luck chilling until firm when it’s at the phase and then do one more very thin layer to fill any uneven gaps.
Not sure what the prose are doing though.
It just takes practice.
I dip my cake spatula in hot water after every swipe almost
Once your done your sides, try going in towards the centre like a flower to get the shape even/flat, then finish with a light smooth over the top as normal. you can even chill at this stage and do a third very thin coat in a thinner buttercream on top to smooth it right down.
Ooh, using vegan butter makes a smooth cake soooo difficult! No advice for you, just wishing you lots of luck
You can use a Brawny paper towel (that brand is smooth and has no texture) and a fondant smoother. Put the paper towel on the icing and lightly rub over it with the fondant smoother. Make sure the icing has crusted a little bit, not on wet or sticky icing.
Icing on the camera and counter is just proof you’re putting your whole self into this. No apologize, you!
You’re so close! Chill it a bit, and it looks like your frosting is a bit soft, try popping it in the fridge for just a few minutes as well to give it a little more body. Put on another thin coat, and it should be pretty smooth.
I’m a 70s kid, if vegan butter is anything like margarine, it’s hard to work with, you’re doing fantastic.
It looks like you have some crumbs in your icing and the cake might be slightly visible under the icing. You might need a thicker layer of icing and a bit more caution with the crumb coat.
Are you chilling the crumb coat for long enough? If you’re using vegan butter, it might just not be setting firm enough to hold its shape properly.
When you add your proper layer of icing after the crumb coat, try being really careful to add an even layer over the whole cake, so you don’t end up seeing any of the crumb coat.
I imagine that vegan butter would be very soft and a lot harder to work with, so don’t compare your cakes to ones you see other people make with real butter.
Chill and then give it a scrape with your bench scraper before decorating
Did not see what sub this was. Read your post as BUTTcream and was really intrigued at what I was going to see when I opened the post (thumbnails are off bc snakes). I was expecting maybe like some sun tan lotion on someone’s booty??
Nope. Cake. Had to reread the title twice before I saw the buttERcream. Smh
Bench scraper in hot water will get the sides smoother,I can never get my cakes perfect using just a spatula
Looks good